London’s Metropolitan Police force has issued an official apology and provided “substantial damages” to two women who were detained during a vigil held in memory of Sarah Everard, a tragic victim of rape and murder by a serving police officer. The resolution comes after a protracted legal battle and serves as a significant development in the aftermath of the vigil that garnered national and international attention.
The incident unfolded in March 2021 when Sarah Everard was abducted from a London street while walking home, and her body was later discovered in woodland roughly 50 miles away. The shocking nature of Everard’s murder, coupled with the revelation that a serving officer, Wayne Couzens, had been arrested in connection with the crime, sparked widespread outrage and protests across the United Kingdom.
In response to the tragedy, hundreds of individuals, predominantly women, gathered at Clapham Common in southwest London, near the location where Everard was last seen. This vigil took place just three days after her body was found and aimed to commemorate her life and demand greater attention to issues of safety and harassment faced by women.
Among the attendees were Dania Al-Obeid and Patsy Stevenson, who were detained by the police during the vigil and subsequently led away in handcuffs. Their detention and subsequent legal battle have drawn significant public interest and support.
Legal representation for Al-Obeid and Stevenson, provided by the law firm Bindmans, confirmed that the Metropolitan Police had reached a settlement regarding the civil claims brought by the two women. As part of the resolution, the women received substantial compensation and an official apology from the police.
Patsy Stevenson, one of the detained women, expressed her thoughts on the conclusion of the legal process, stating, “It has taken over two years to reach this conclusion. It’s been a really tiring and difficult process, but it has felt important to seek some form of accountability and justice for myself and all the women who attended the vigil to express our anger and grief over the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police officer.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police acknowledged the exceptional circumstances surrounding the vigil and defended the actions of its officers during the event, asserting that they had acted in good faith.
The spokesperson also highlighted that a protracted legal dispute would not serve the best interests of any party involved, particularly the complainants who had already experienced significant distress due to the incident.
The tragic murder of Sarah Everard, coupled with the police response to the subsequent vigil, was part of a series of events that have deeply affected the reputation of the London police force in recent years. These events ultimately led to the resignation of its former chief, Cressida Dick. While an independent watchdog report conducted shortly after the vigil had concluded that the police had acted appropriately, a critical review published in March of the same year, commissioned in the aftermath of Wayne Couzens’ life imprisonment, characterized the force as misogynistic and cited the vigil incident as a notable example of its shortcomings. This underscored the urgent need for reform within the organization and continues to be a topic of discussion and concern within the community.
